Subtle Shifts’ transformed an inefficient suburban house into a functional, comfortable and energy-smart affordable home within its existing footprint.

This was successfully achieved by simply moving away from the traditional and rigid “one room, one function” mindset, which ultimately leads to homes that can be used more intensively within a smaller footprint and volume. Our design aimed to be very adaptable over the building’s’ lifespan as a sustainable strategy.

The necessity for and concept of multifunctional use within an existing footprint are simple:
• As climate change reshapes how we must design living spaces, the traditional Western model of dedicated rooms for specific functions is increasingly unsustainable.
• Conventionally designed homes demand more materials, energy and land to support rigid layouts, driving resource depletion and higher carbon footprints.

In contrast, adaptable, multi-functional spaces maximise utility on a smaller footprint, reduce material waste and resources and energy use which are key to climate-conscious design.

This sounds simple and easy. However, conventional expectations of buildings, delivery process and construction do not always align with these principles. Expectation and value alignments between clients, consultants, authorities and builder become critical to the ability to proceed with the ‘building less’ philosophy.

Sustainable architecture and design need to ensure that building less can improve functionality, amenity, efficiency, and value. Subtle Shift demonstrates this.

Photography by Tatjana Plitt